This invention relates to new and improved devices facilitating a quick and trouble-free opening of beer and other beverage cans which are characterized by a portion of their top being peripherally bounded, at least in part, by a score line or other type of structural weakening and having attached thereto a lever, ring or other tab-like operating member for breaking thereof free from, and thereby producing an opening in, the body of the can.
In the manufacture of such a can the operating member is normally installed to tightly hug its top surface. Futhermore, the end of this operating member remote from that portion of the can to which it connects will normally lie immediately adjacent the base of an upstanding rim which peripherally bounds the top of the can. The construction and arrangement in this respect usually makes it difficult to readily pry the operating member from the top of the can so it can be easily manipulated and particularly difficult to do so without the chance of injury to the finger or fingernail of the person attempting to open the can.
For example, to produce an opening of a can of the type described, the attached operating member must first be pried away from the top surface of the can to a level above the bounding rim before it can be firmly grasped between the fingers and pulled outward to achieve its attended function. The only way that one can pry up the operating member without a tool is to insert one end of a finger between the rim and the outermost end of the operating member and pry it outwardly by engaging a fingernail under the edge thereof. This edge is oftentimes somewhat sharp and in the process of prying the operating member outwardly from the top surface of the can, one can injure the finger applied or break or otherwise damage the fingernail. This has for some time been a serious problem, particularly to those who must frequently serve the contents of such cans on a daily basis.
Much time and money has heretofore been expended in efforts to solve the noted problem. In spite of this the problem has continued to exist up to the time of the present invention, which does provide a most satisfactory solution.
Attention is directed to the following Letters Patent for a consideration of the state of the prior art:
R. W. Miller--U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,921--Jan. 12, 1982 PA0 G. L. O'Neal--U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,352--Mar. 3, 1981 PA0 N. R. Goldberg--U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,216--Oct. 17, 1978 PA0 R. Zuideveld--U.S. Pat No. 3,870,189--Mar. 11, 1975 PA0 C. C. Oblander--U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,122--Feb. 15, 1966 PA0 H. N. Bliss--U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,605--June 7, 1960 PA0 W. M. Thompson--U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,815--Jan. 1, 1957 PA0 J. E. Socke--U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,225--Nov. 16, 1943 PA0 H. W. Rueger--U.S. Pat. No. 2,129,785--Sept. 13, 1938 PA0 R. E. Jones--U.S. Pat. No. 1,955,750--Apr. 24, 1934
The inventor is not aware of any prior art which is specifically pertinent to or anticipatory of the details of his invention as herein claimed.